Sewing machine



Sept. 20, 1938. o. REGEN 2,130,509

I SEWING MACHINE Filed Sept. 16, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Oscar Reg en.

ATTORNEYS Sept. 2%, 1938. o. REGEN SEWING MACHINE Filed Sept. 16, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Oscar Re gen. BY 7%m r M ATTORNEYS Sept, 20, 1938. O, REGEN 2,130,509

SEWING MACHINE Filed Sept. 16, 1956 3 SheetsSheet 3 INVENTOR Oscar Regen.

ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 20, 1938 UNITED STA'iE PATENT OFFICE SEWING MACHINE Application September 16, 1936, Serial No. 100,977

19 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of sewing, especially to a method of securing separately formed attachments to a fabric, and it relates more particularly to an improved method of securing bows and like adornments t0 the sweat leather or band of a hat, and relates also to a machine for carrying the method into effect.

It is a known practice to stitch a bow to the free margin of a sweat leather by hand, a laborious operation which is only performed manually for the reason that no sewing machine of which I am aware has any appliance which makes the operation mechanically feasible with results acceptable to the manufacturers of hats, by whom the bows, etc., are attached to the sweat leathers in preparation for the assembly of each leather with its hat.

In order to be acceptable, such a bow must have its loops disposed in loose, jaunty fashion, whereas those attached by machine are customarily sewed down flat and tight, owing to the practical impossibility of utilizing a conventional form of presser foot, tucker, folder, pleater, or other known appliance to accomplish the temporary displacement of the overlying loops of a bow while the needle operates upon the knot of the bow or upon an underlying strand of the bow material, to stitch the latter in place upon the sweat leather, thus permitting the restoration of such displaced loop or loops to the positions normally occupied by the constituent loops when the hat is marketed and worn.

Under such conditions, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method of operating upon a bow to perform the steps essential to attachment, which steps include (a), the assembly of the bow with the sweat band at the selected region thereof; '(b), the step of holding down one or more underlyingstrands of the bow,

4.0 in position to be stitched to the leather; (0), the

concurrent displacement of one or more of the contiguous overlying strands of the bow temporarily, in order to prevent such strands from being casually fastened to the band by an unintended stitch or stitches, and (d) the step of stitching by which the bow is attached; the temporary displacement not being continued after the necessary stitch or stitches have been set by the needle, in substantially the known manner.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear as the description of the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses.

In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference have been applied to corresponding parts throughout the several views which make up the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary View in sectional elevation, illustrating only so much of the operating parts of a sewing machine as are necessary to a complete understanding of the invention, of which certain features have been. embodied in the structure shown by this figure;

Fig. 2 is a view in horizontal sectional plan taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and showing certain of the parts;

Fig. 3 is an elevation, looking from right to left, of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, detail view in plan, of a somewhat schematic character, showing a sweat leather, at the rear joint of which a bow is in course of being attached by the needle and associated parts illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive; I

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view in side elevation of the parts of a sewing machine head as illustrated in Fig. 1, the parts occupying a different operative position; and,

Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating still another position of the parts.

In the now-preferred embodiment of the invention selected for illustration, the part designated by the reference character ii is part of thesewing table of a sewing machine, which, with its extension I2, may be substantially of known general construction preferably of the type of Singer sewing machine known as a tacker, these parts being so disposed and connected to the actuating mechanism of the sewing machine that when the operator actuates suitable levers (not shown), the latter will operate a suitable clutch or like part (not shown) arranged to start and stop the machine.

The needle 15, of known form, preferably, is carried by a plunger 16 adapted to be reciprocated vertically in a sewing head I! of known form, mounted on the structure of the machine frame F, (indicated schematically).

In pursuance of the invention, the machine is provided with a presser foot mechanism designated generally by the reference character P, and including the foot proper, as l8, carried at the free end of an arm I9, to which is attached, as by a cap screw 20, the complemental arm part 21, the latter being fitted at 22 in the slotted end of a bracket 23 mounted tiltingly upon a pivot 24 carried in lugs 35, extending upwardly from a base plate 32, secured, as by a screw 33, to a known form of slide S which terminates at its other end 36, in a roughened feeder part adapted to cooperate with the presser foot I8.

Above the arm 2|, a bracker 21 is mounted with an end 28 in position to engage the part 2I at 29, loosely, being biased thereagainst by a coil spring 30, under compression, interposed between the free end 3I of the bracket 21 and the base plate 32. Cups 34 aid to keep the spring in aligned position.

The bracket 21 has a combined retaining and fulcrum screw 26 extending upward from a yoke 25 fitted over the lugs 25, and preferably transfixed by the pivot 24. reciprocate lengthwise by mechanism of known or suitable construction (not shown) and when so reciprocated, carries with it the pressor foot' e, presser foot I8 is normally'biased by the action of spring 36 to the position shownin Fig. l,

mechanism P and its associated parts.

where it is engaged with the roughened feeder part 36 of the slide S, and an orifice 38 in the presser foot is at all times in line with a like orifice in the centre of the roughened part 36.

The forward end of the foot is preferably split, as at 40, and the rear portion 4I constitutes an elongated recess, for a purpose to be described.

The orifice 38 is always in alignment with the vertical path of the needle I5, where the foot I8 is moved in a vertical plane to its Fig. 5 position, in an arcuate path on a radius around the axis of pivot 24, inasmuch as the radius is relatively long. The split end 40permits manipulation of the thread when threading the needle, and avoids interference between the foot and the end 42 of a hook member 43 to be now described.

The purpose of the hook member is to displace temporarily a fold 44 of the loop 45 of the bow B, so that when the needle I5 pierces the fabric of the bow it will only stitch through the strand 46 of the loop 45, and not through the strand 41, which accordingly is loose and gives a desirably informal appearance to the bow. It will be understood that a stitching, indicated at 46a in Fig. 4, is made in the other loop 451:, and these stitches not only hold down the bow, but prevent loosening of either'loop.

When completed, the bow is thus secured accurately and permanently, across the joint or seam 48, which includes the abutting marginal edges 56 of the sweat leather, it being understood that these margins are customarily assembled with a gummed strip 49 which serves to hold them securely against displacement.

At the time of sewing the bow upon the sweat leather the same constitutes, with its edges 50 joined as above described, a closed ring or band of annular form (not shown) and so can be manipulated conveniently 'by the operator of the sewing machine, with only that degree of skill which may be expected from an operator" accustomed to working upon power or hand-actuating sewing machines.

At the start of the operation of stitching on the bow B, the needle I 5, presser foot I8 and hook 42 will ordinarily occupy the relative positions illustrated in Fig. 5, all of them being elevated sufficiently to clear the roughened feeder portion 36 of the slide S by a space adequate to receive the leather or band L with the bow B held by the operator, who places an already formed bow, as B, upon the uplifted foot in such fashion that the foot I8 and hook 42 (see Fig. 4) are between thestrands 46 and 41, the strand 4! at this stage of the operation. overlying both the foot I8 and the superimposed hook 42, while the strand 46 The slide S is caused to T lies under the foot, which is now ready to be brought down to the position illustrated in Fig. 6. In the latter position, the strand 46 is held down against the sweat leather L by the foot I8 and the strand 4'! has been displaced from its normal overlying relationship to a retracted position as shown at 44, thus clearing the way for the needle, as indicated at I5, to perform the stitching operation.

After this stitch has been completed, it will be understood that the hook 42 will be withdrawn,

leaving the strand 41 free to resume its normal "loose position overlying the strand 46, and the presser foot and hook will be again brought from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the already described position shown in Fig. 5, where the assembled foot andhook are ready to receive the loop 45:13 at the other side of the bow for a stitching operation that repeats the steps already described.

The operations above recited are characteristic of the attaching operations to be performed on any of a series of bows to be attached to sweat bands in pursuance of the novel. method herein disclosed, and of similar operations in which an overlying ply of a fabric having two or more plies is to be displaced to expose the overlying ply and permit the stitch to be completed while the overlying ply remains free to resume its overlying position, not only being loose but also concealing the stitch.

I will now describe the now-preferred mechanism by which the related movements of the foot and hook required for the satisfactory accomplishment of the above described operations may be accomplished, it being understood that it is intended that the hook 43 shall at all times occupy a position in the groove 4| of the presser foot such as to permit the finger 43 of the hook to slide from the position of Figs. 5 and 6 to that of Fig. l, whlie the hook is biased against the foot both by the action of gravity and by the action of the lever system now to be detailed.

This system comprises, in the illustrative form shown, a plunger 63 carried by, and adapted to reciprocate vertically within, the sewing head I'I alongside of the needle plunger or bar I6.

At I3 the plunger 63 has a pin-and-slot connection with a walking beam I4 mounted pivotally at I5 upon the frame F and from the other end of which depends a link I6 running from a suitable treadle (not shown) or other manually operable means by which the operator may actuate the plunger 63. A flat spring 63a acts against the upper end of the plunger 63 to hold it down.

At the free end 64 of the plunger 63 a head bar 66 is fixed by a screw 65, extending horizontally over the leading end of the arm 2I associated with the forward end of the presser foot arm I9, the latter having mounted thereon an upright post II provided near its upper end with a horizontal stud I2, so disposed that when the plunger 64 is raised by depression of the link 16, the bar 66 will lift the post II and arm I9 with all parts associated therewith against the action of the spring 63a.

Toward the rear of the leading end of arm 2 I, as viewed in the plan Fig. 2, is provided a guide 54, secured by screws 55, and having mounted slidingly therein the shank portion 53 of the hook member 5I, the latter being bent appropriately to clear the upright post II, and also having a reverse bend, as at 56, upon which is set a screw stud 52, from which a coil spring 66 is stretched to a post BI upon the arm 2 I, this spring tending constantly to bias the hook 43 to its position of Figs. and 6.

Movement of the hook 43 forward to displace the overlying ply '41 as in. Fig. 4, is accomplished by the following means, viz., a bell-crank lever 69 which is mounted pivotally at H! on the post H and has near the free end of one of its arms a stud 68 extending into the plane of vertical movement of the bar 66, while its other end has a pivot connection, as 59, with a link 58 which is pivotally connected at 51 with the oifset bend 56 of the hook member 53.

Accordingly, when the operator depresses the link 16 and raises the plunger 63 and bar 66, the end 61 of the bar moves upward from the Fig. 1 position to the position shown in Fig. 6, and the bell-crank arm, under the bias of spring 66, communicated through link 58, turns around its pivot 10, the stud 68 following the end 61 of bar 66, so that the hook end 42 is now withdrawn to the position shown in Fig. 6, and is ready to be lifted with the foot l8 to the Fig. 5 position of these parts.

This elevation is accomplished simply by the continued movement of the bar 66 upward, carrying with it the post H and its associated parts, by virtue of the engagement of the bar 65 with the stud 12, which becomes effective for such elevation when the bar passes the Fig. 6 position in its upward path.

I have described what I believe to be the best embodiment of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiment shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mechanism for securing to a fabric a separately formed article having a plurality of plies, suchas a bow or like adornment for the sweat-band of a hat; said mechanism comprising means for holding said article in juxtaposition with said fabric when assembled therewith; means, co-ordinated with said holding means, for retracting an overlying ply of said article to eX- pose a ply to be secured to said fabric; and means for securing said exposed ply to the underlying fabric.

2. A mechanism for securing to a fabric a separately formed article having a plurality of plies, such as a bow or like adornment for the sweatband of a hat; said mechanism comprising means for holding said article in juxtaposition with said fabric when assembled therewith; means, coordinated with'said holding means, for' retracting an overlying ply of said article to expose a ply to be secured to said fabric; means for securing said exposed ply to the underlying fabric; and means for actuating said co-ordinated instrumentalities in suitably timed relation to cause said retracted ply to resume its overlying position with relation to said attached ply.

3. A mechanism for securing a bow or like adornment to the sweat-band of a hat; said mechanism comprising means for holding said bow in assembled relation with said band; means, coordinated with said holding means, for retracting an overlying ply of said bow to expose a ply to be secured to said band; and means for securing said exposed ply to the underlying band.

4. A mechanism for securing to the sweat band of a hat, a bow formed with a set of loops each having a plurality of plies; said mechanism com prising means for holding said bow upon said band with said loops spread thereon; means, coordinated with said holding means, for retracting an overlying ply of a loop to expose a ply to be secured to said band; means for securing said exposed ply to the underlying band; and means for actuating said co-ordinated instrumentalities in suitably timed relation to release said retracted ply and permit the loop to assume its normal full disposition with relation to the band.

5. A sewing machine comprising, in combination, a supporting structure, including a sewing table, a needle and means to operate the needle, a presser foot adapted to hold upon said sewing table a fabric, such as the sweat-band of a hat and an adornment therefor, such as a bow having a set of loops each having a plurality of plies loosely related to each other; and a retractor device co-ordinated with said presser foot, for displacing an overlying ply of said loop to expose an underlying ply to be stitched to said band or fabric; and means to actuate said retractor device, in suitably timed relation with the stitching operation of said needle, to displace the overlying ply and, after the underlying ply has been stitched to the band, to release said displaced ply.

6. A sewing machine comprising, in combina tion, a supporting structure, including a sewing table, a needle and means to operate the needle, a presser foot adapted to hold upon said sewing table a fabric, such as the sweat-band of a hat and an adornment therefor, such as a bow having a set of loops each having a plurality of plies loosely related to each other; and a retractor device co-ordinated with said presser foot, for displacing an overlying ply of said loop to expose an underlying ply to be stitched to said band or fabric; and means to actuate said retractor device, in suitably timed relation with the stitching operation of said needle, to displace the overlying ply and, after the underlying ply has been stitched to the band, to release said displaced ply preliminary to release of said bow by the presser foot, and means to release said presser foot.

7. A sewing machine comprising, in combination, a supporting structure, including a sewing table, a needle and means to operate the needle, a presser foot adapted to hold upon said sewing table a fabric, such as the sweat-band of a hat and an adornment therefor, such as a bow having a set of loops each having a plurality of plies loosely related to each other; and a retractor device co-ordinated with said presser foot, for displacing an overlying ply of sa d loop to expose an underlying ply to be stitched to said band of fabric; and means to actuate said retractor device, in suitably timed relation with the stitching operation of said needle, to displace the overlying ply and, after the underlying ply has been stitched to the band, to release said displaced ply, springactuated means to bias said retractor device out of its operative position, and manually operable means to move it to displace said ply.

8. A sewing machine comprising, in combination, a supporting structure, including a sewing table, a needle, and means to operate the needle, a presser foot adapted to hold upon the sewing table a fabric such as the sweat-band of a hat, and an adornment therefor, such as a bow, said presser foot being carried at the free endof an arm supported pivotally upon said structure and biased toward the table by a floating lever fulcrumed in the vicinity of said pivot and having one end engaged with an intermediate part of said arm between the pivot and the presser foot, the other end of said arm, beyond the fulcrum, being engaged with a coiled spring under compression betweensaid last-named end of the lever and said table; and means, including a retractor device, coordinated with said presser foot, adapted to be inserted in said bow and to displace an overlying ply thereof while another ply remains beneath said'presser foot and exposed for the stitching operation, whereby said bow is secured to the band; and means to actuate said presser foot and said retractor device in timed relation to release said bow after said stitching operation.

9. In a sewing machine having a needle and operating means therefor, a sewing table and a presser foot adapted to hold upon the sewing table a fabric and another plural ply article to be attached to said underlying fabric by less than the total number of the ply components of said article, said presser foot being formed with a recess in its upper surface; and a retractor device having a part adapted to move to and fro in said recess to intervene between superimposed plies of said article and thereby to displace at least one of said overlying plies and expose an underlying ply for securement to said fabric by the stitching action of said needle.

10. A sewing machine as claimed in claim 9, in

which said presser foot and said retractor dea vice are adapted to be moved away from the upper surface of said table in unison; and means to efiect said removal, said last-named means comprising a system of levers mounted upon the sewing head and a manually operable device adapted to actuate said lever system.

11. An attachment for a sewing machine of the class having a sewing table, a needle, means to operate the needle, and a presser foot adapted to hold upon the sewing table a plural-ply fabric; said attachment comprising a retractor device, co-ordinated with said presser foot, and adapted to be inserted between the plies of said fabric and to displace part of an overlying ply thereof while another ply remains beneath said presser foot and exposed for the stitching operation whereby another part of said overlying ply is secured to the last-named ply.

12. In a sewing machine having a needle, operating means therefor and a sewing table; a

presser foot adapted to hold a plural ply article upon the sewing table, and formed with a recess in its upper surface; and a retractor device having a part adapted to move to and fro in said recess to intervene between superimposed plies of said article and thereby to displace at least one of said overlying plies and expose an underlying ply for the stitching action of said needle.

13. The method of securing to a fabric a separately formed article having a plurality of plies, such as a bow or like adornment. upon the sweat leather of a hat; said method comprising the step of assembling said bow with said fabric and holding them in juxtaposition; the concurrently performed step of displacing an overlying ply to expose a ply to be secured to said fabric; then securing said exposed ply to the underlying fabric; and finally releasing said retracted ply and permitting it to resume its loose overlying positionwith relation to said attached ply.

14. The method of securing a bow structure comprising a set of loops extending from a central knot, to a fabric, such as the sweat leather of a hat; said method including the steps of assembling a bow upon said sweat leather with at least two.0f said loops spread apart thereupon; the step of retracting any overlying portions-of said loops to expose the ply to be secured to' said sweat, the step of stitching said last-named ply to said sweat; and then releasing the retracted parts.

' 15. An attachment for a sewing machine of the class having a sewing table, a sewing head above said table, and a presser foot adapted to be moved upward from said table and downward to hold against the table a plural ply article to be stitched, said attachment including a retractor device adapted to retract an overlying ply of said article to expose a ply to be secured to an underlying ply, means by which said retractor device may be secured to said sewing head in position to present the device in assembled relation with said presser foot, and means to actuate said retractor device when so assembled.

16. An attachment for a sewing machine of the class having a sewing table, a sewing head above said table, and a presser foot adapted to be moved upward from said table and downward to hold against the table a plural ply article to be stitched, said attachment including a retractor device adapted to retract an overlying ply of said article to expose a ply to be secured to an underlying ply, means by which said retractor device may be secured to said sewing head in position to present the device in assembled relation with said presser foot and means whereby said presser foot and retractor device may be raised and lowered in unison, and means forming a unitary structure with said retractor device to permit manual actuation thereof slidingly with respect to the presser foot, to displace a ply of material from the path of the needle while other plies remain under the presser foot.

1'7. An attachment for a sewing machine of the class having a sewing table, a sewing head above said table, and a presser foot adapted to be moved upward from said table and downward to hold against the table a plural ply article to be stitched, said attachment including a retractor device adapted to retract an overlying ply of said article to expose a ply to be secured to an underlying ply, means by'which said retractor device may be secured to said sewing head in position to present the device in assembled relation with said presser foot and means whereby said presser foot and retractor device may be raised and lowered in unison, said retractor device being adapted where in raised position, to receive, by lateral imposition, a plural ply fabric, of which a selected ply is superimposed upon the combined parts, and at least one ply underlies the presser foot where in operative position for sewing, the retractor device being movable slidingly relative to the presser foot to displace the overlying ply from the path of the needle.

18. A presser foot for a sewing machine provided with a slide of the class described, said presser foot having an elongated recess in its upper face adapted to receive slidingly a retractor device, and an orifice extending through the bottom wall of said recess to permit a sewing needle to pass therethrough in the operation of sewing, and the orifice having in communication therewith an opening through the wall of said foot.

19. A retractor attachment of the class described for a sewing machine; said attachment comprising a plunger member adapted to be mounted to reciprocate vertically in the sewing head; a bar supported laterally by said plunger;

' a presser foot mounted pivotally upon the sewing table of said sewing machine, and having an arm extending near the path of said bar, and having an upright post with a stud extending into said downwardly toward the sewing table to bring said presser foot into action and concurrently to advance said hook device to displace a ply of fabric from the path of the sewing needle.

OSCAR REGEN'. 

